Abdominal corset.



PATENTED JUNE 3o, 190s.

o. H. scHoPBA'CH. ABDOMINAL CORSET.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 10, 1901.

I0 MODEL'.

UNITED 'STATES Patented .Tune 30, 1903.

P-.fxTlENT OFFICE.

CHARLES HENRY SCHOPBACH, OF AURORA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO SIMON FLUSHEIM AND NORMAN S. FLUSHEIM, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, COPART- NERS UNDER NAME OF THE CHICAGO CORSET COMPANY.

ABDoMlNAL CORSET.

SPECIFICATION forming part ofILetters Patent N o. 732,378, dated June 30, 1903. Application led January 10, 1901. Serial No. 42,735. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES HENRY SoHoP- BACH, of Aurora, in the county of Kane and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Abdominal Corsets 5 and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference 1o marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in corsets, and refers more particularly to corsets Which are provided with abdominal bands or belts and with devices for attaching to a corset certain articles of wearing-apparel which are adapted to be sustained by the cor` set-as, for instance, hose-supporters or one of the nether garments".

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of the front lower portion of a corset, showing my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary viewvot' parts of the corset shown in Fig. l with the abdominal band removed. Fig. 3 is a rear View of the central portion of said abdominal band. Fig. 4

3o is a detail section taken on line 4 4 of Fig. l. Fig. 5 is a sectional Vdetail of the attaching button or stud and associated parts on said line 4 4 of Fig. l. Fig. 6 is a detail section taken on line 6 6 of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 shows a sectional detail of a modiiied form of attaching device.

As shown in said drawings, A designates the body of the corset provided at its front meeting edges with the usual stiening strips 4o or steels A A', one of which is provided with studs a and the other of which is provided with an equal number of eyelets or loops a, adapted to engage said studs to fasten the corset in a familiar manner. y

B designates an abdominal band which passes around the forward lower marginal part of the corset in a familiar manner. Said band is detachably secured at its center to the front of the corset and is attached at its vends to the sides of the corset by means of C designates two buttons or studs which are l secured to the front of the corset nearthe lower edge th ereof,on each side of the meeting edges thereof, and which are adapted to engage eyelets b, located in the middle portion of the abdominal band. Said eyelets are herein shown as formed by short rigid tubes b', which pass through and are secured permanently in the body of the fabric and are closed at their outer ends by heads b2, between which and Washers b3, surrounding the inner endsv thereof, the body of the band is clamped. Said buttons or studs C are secured to the body fabric of the corset by shanks C', which pass therethrough, the inner ends of said Shanks being engaged by washers C2, over which said shank is clenched, as shown in Fig. 5. The heads C3 of said buttons or studs, which are madelfrom sheet metal, are provided with slits c,w`nich render the same expansible and contractible, whereby they may be inserted into the eyelet and held therein by the engagement due to the spring of the metal of which they are made. Loops a3 a3 are attached to the corsetbody on each side thereof between said detachable fastening devices and the buckles and through which the intermediate portions of said band pass. Said loops serve tohold the band in proper position with respect to the corset. The lower frontedge of the corset will be made of iiexible material between the stays or bones thereof, permitting the same tobe contracted when the band is tightened, such exible parts folding upon themselves,

,as shown at a4 in Fig. l. As the null on the center of thelband will be mainly upward, the eyelets will be placed near the lower edge o f the band, thereby keeping the latter from curling or rolling up.

As a further improvement I have provided means for detachably suspending a hose su pporter from the above-mentioned attaching devices by which the band is centrally connected with the corset, or a nether garment may be suspended from the corset.

As shown in Figs. l and 5, D D designate the upper ends of elastic hose-supporters of usual form provided with slotted plates D. E designates a double-flanged washer, which is mounted on the shank C' of the button 0r stud C and between the flange c on said shank and the outer face of the body of the corset. Said washer is provided between its fianges with a somewhat deep peripheral groove, within which the slotted plate of the supporter is inserted when it is slipped over the shank C. The slot of said plate is enlarged, as common in such devices, to permit the same to bepassed over the flange c' of said button or stud.

In Fig. 7 is shown a modification of the'attaching button or stud, which is adapted for attaching a nether garment, Asuch as an underskirt, to and suspending from the corset. As shown in said ligure, the part which corresponds with the stud or button C of the previously-described figures has the form of a disk F, attached to the outer end of a rigid neck F', and which disk is larger in diameter than said first-described button or stud and forms a button of ordinary size. The other parts of the attaching device are like that heretofore described and are designated by the same reference-letters. The grooved washer E is located on the shank C' inside of said button, between the flange c2 and the body of the corset, and is adapted for engagement by the plate of the hose-supporter, said supporter being attached thereto before the garment supported thereby is fastened in place. It will be understood that when a nether garment is to be supported from the corset any desired number of buttons of any preferred construction will be employed, which will be spaced at suitable intervals around the corset, and that such set of buttons will include one or more buttons or studs like that shown in Fig. 7, which latter will be located on the corset in suitable positions for engagement with the upper ends of the hose-supporters.

So far as described the fasteners for securing the belt at the center and which hold it distended vertically are not adapted to prevent the belt from disengaging itself from the lower part of the corset when the latter is bent in by a stooping or sitting position, as in those positions the release of outward stress against the corset slackens both corset and belt, so that they tend to work apart. To make the engagement of both parts positive under all conditions, a hook H is secured vertically to the interior face of the central portion of the band. Said hook has its tongue h pointing upward. An eyelet h' is correspondingly secured in the corset to engage said hook. The pull on the band being downward, the hook resists this when placed in the position described, as well as securing the corset and belt against displacement when the outward pressure of the wearers body is removed because of a stooping or sitting po sition. Thereby the fasteners C are relieved of all strain which tends to separate their parts.

The means described for attaching the central part of the abdominal band to the corset affords an exceedingly strong and reliable connection between the same without undue or unsightly projecting parts or portions which are so prominent as to prevent a suitably-smooth fit or appearance of the outside garments. This is because of the fact that the button or stud, on the one hand, and the eyelet, on the other hand, project through the parts to which they are attached and are firmly clamped thereon. The hookis entirely concealed betweenthe corset and belt. Moreover, the construction and arrangement of said attaching device are such that the pull on said band when itis on the corset and tightened is such as to hold the studs or buttons and the eyelets in their engaged positions, so

that so long as said band remains tight said parts cannot possibly become disengaged. When the pressure is relieved from any cause, such as a stooping or sitting position, the hook prevents the studs disengaging themselves. Thereby the two parts are held firmly in position, the position of the fasteners on the lower edge of the band preventing'the latter from rolling or curling up. Thus the band at all times is supporting the body by its full width and cannot work loose and slip out of place, so as to cause discomfort to the wearer. Furthermore, said construction of the attaching device enables the band to be easily and readily engaged with and disengaged from said corset when desired. So far as the main feature ot' my invention is concerned said band instead of being attached at its ends to the rear part of the corset may be extended entirely around the corset and its ends attached together or to the corset by means permitting adjustment of' the length of the band. y

The construction of the stud or button which affords engagement therewith of the hose-supporter is of much practical importance, as it avoids the necessity of providing other fastening devices for this purpose and also insures the proper engagement of said supporters with the corset so long as the garment or band, as the case may be, remains properly attached, it being obvious that the supporter being engaged with the shank of the button or stud inside of the band 0r garment engaged therewith said supporter cannot become accidentally detached from the shank while the garment is in place.

I claim as my invention- An abdominal corset comprising a corsetbody having vertical stiiening-strips extending to its lower front edge, an abdominal band IOO IIO

secured at its ends by adjustable fastenings to the lower part of the corset, said band being arranged to rest over the lower part of an eyelet on the corset-body between the buttons adapted to engage said hooksaid connecting devices acting to hold the band from upward displacement and to also hold the band transversely distended.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I affix my signature, in presence zo of two witnesses, this 9th day of August, A. D. 1900.

CHARLES HENRY SCHOPBACH. Witnesses:

W. H. PEASE, JNO. C. WEILAND. 

